Thumb OsteoarthritisNCT03017118
Turmeric for Patients With Basal Joint Arthritis
A study testing Turmeric in people with Thumb Osteoarthritis, run by Massachusetts General Hospital at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The aim of this study is to assess whether the use of a commercially available nutraceutical, turmeric, is an effective option to manage pain and stiffness in patients with basal joint arthritis. To conduct a pilot Randomized Controlled Trial evaluating the impact of turmeric on basal joint arthritis. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 40 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Thumb Osteoarthritis
- What is being tested?
- Turmeric
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 60 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 9 Aug 2017to Jan 2028
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 40 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 40 years of age or older
- English fluency and literacy
- Seeking care for basal joint pain
- Tender over basal joint
- Positive distraction rotation test (rotation of the thumb metacarpal base while applying axial traction)
- Radiographic evidence of Eaton stage 1 and 2 only
Who cannot join
- Secondary gains (litigations or worker compensation) procedures that may interfere with patients' motivation for treatment
- Inability or unwillingness to participate in a trial study
- Rheumatoid Arthritis or other inflammatory disorder diagnoses
- Post-traumatic osteoarthritis
- Patients on Coumadin/Steroids/NSAIDs/Tylenol
- Diabetes Mellitus
Show all 9Show fewer
- Pregnant or lactating women
- Basal joint arthritis of Eaton stage 3
- Patients seeking other treatment for their basal joint arthritis (splint, corticosteroid injection, surgery)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Karan Amin, BA contact
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02114
Neal Chen, MD, 617-726-4700, nchen1@mgh.harvard.edu
Kiera Lunn, BSc, 6177261569, klunn@mgh.harvard.edu
About this study
Official title: A Randomized Controlled Trial Using Turmeric for Patients With Basal Joint Arthritis
The aim of this study is to assess whether the use of a commercially available nutraceutical, turmeric, is an effective option to manage pain and stiffness in patients with basal joint arthritis. To conduct a pilot Randomized Controlled Trial evaluating the impact of turmeric on basal joint arthritis.
- Conditions
- Thumb Osteoarthritis
- Being tested
- Turmeric, Placebo
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
TurmericDietary supplement
Subjects will receive turmeric (100 mg pastille) 3 times per day for 6 weeks.
PlaceboOther
Subjects in the control group will receive a placebo 3 times per day for 6 weeks.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Turmeric | Experimental | Subjects in this group will receive turmeric (100 mg pastille) 3 times per day for 6 weeks. Receives: Dietary Supplement: Turmeric |
| Control | Placebo comparator | Subjects in this group will receive a placebo pill 3 times per day for 6 weeks. Receives: Other: Placebo |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in baseline pain intensity
0-10 ordinal rating of pain intensity
Measured: Enrollment, 6 weeks, and 3 months
Change in baseline disability
Disability measured by the QuickDASH
Measured: Enrollment, 6 weeks, and 3 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted11 Jan 2017 (estimated)
- Study start9 Aug 2017
- Primary completionDec 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionJan 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Thumb OsteoarthritisStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Massachusetts General HospitalThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Neal Chung-Jen Chen, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Investigators
- Neal Chen, MD, Principal investigator, Massachusetts General Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03017118
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2016P001402
- Status last verified
- Nov 2025
- First submitted
- 7 Dec 2016
- Last updated
- 24 Nov 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 24 Nov 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Randomized Controlled Trial Using Turmeric for Patients With Basal Joint Arthritis
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03017118
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2016P001402
- Conditions
- Thumb Osteoarthritis
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts General HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 9 Aug 2017 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Dec 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jan 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 11 Jan 2017 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The aim of this study is to assess whether the use of a commercially available nutraceutical, turmeric, is an effective option to manage pain and stiffness in patients with basal joint arthritis. To conduct a pilot Randomized Controlled Trial evaluating the impact of turmeric on basal joint arthritis.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind (participant, care provider, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Turmeric | Experimental | Dietary Supplement: TurmericSubjects in this group will receive turmeric (100 mg pastille) 3 times per day for 6 weeks. |
| Control | Placebo comparator | Other: PlaceboSubjects in this group will receive a placebo pill 3 times per day for 6 weeks. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 40 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- 40 years of age or older
- English fluency and literacy
- Seeking care for basal joint pain
- Tender over basal joint
- Positive distraction rotation test (rotation of the thumb metacarpal base while applying axial traction)
Key exclusion criteria (9 listed)
- Secondary gains (litigations or worker compensation) procedures that may interfere with patients' motivation for treatment
- Inability or unwillingness to participate in a trial study
- Rheumatoid Arthritis or other inflammatory disorder diagnoses
- Post-traumatic osteoarthritis
- Patients on Coumadin/Steroids/NSAIDs/Tylenol
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| TurmericSubjects will receive turmeric (100 mg pastille) 3 times per day for 6 weeks. | Dietary supplement | Turmeric |
| PlaceboSubjects in the control group will receive a placebo 3 times per day for 6 weeks. | Other | Control |
Primary outcome
Change in baseline pain intensity
Time frame: Enrollment, 6 weeks, and 3 months
0-10 ordinal rating of pain intensity
Change in baseline disability
Time frame: Enrollment, 6 weeks, and 3 months
Disability measured by the QuickDASH
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 24 Nov 2025.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Karan Amin, BA contact
Neal Chen, MD principal investigator
Massachusetts General Hospital
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Turmeric in people with Thumb Osteoarthritis, run by Massachusetts General Hospital at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 9 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 24 Nov 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Neal Chen, M.D. (617-726-4700, nchen1@mgh.harvard.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in baseline pain intensity (time frame: Enrollment, 6 weeks, and 3 months). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 24 Nov 2025.